lobentz



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. LORENTZ.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 333,645. Patented Jan. 5,1886.

, INVEN 0 BY W ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 2 Sh etsSheet 2.

H. LORE'NTZ.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 333,645. Patented Jan. 5, 1886..

WITNESSES INVENTOR & m QLWMPWM' BY ATTORNEYS N PETERS Phm-Luha m mr, wmlunglorhnc UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH LORENTZ, OF STETIIN, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

MECHANiCAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,645, dated January 5, 1886.

Application filed April 9,1884. Serial No.127.157.

(No model.) Patented in Belgium March 15, 1884, No. 64,512

in France March 15, 1884, No.160,974; in England March 15, 1884, No. 4,968; in Italy May 19,1884, N0.16,808/268; in Austria-Hungary September 21, 1884, No. 16,788 and No. 42,309, and in Denmark February 10, 1885, No. 1'48.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH LORENTZ, a citizen of the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, residing at the city of Stettin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, (for which Letters Patent have heretofore been granted in the following countries, to wit: In Belgium, No. 64,512, dated March 15, 1884; in France, No. 160,974, dated March 15, 1884; in Denmark, No. 784, dated February 10, 1885; in Italy, No.16,808/268, dated May 19,1884; in Great Britain, No. 4,968 of 1884, dated March 15, 1884, and in Austria-Hungary, No. 16,788 and No. 42,309, dated September 21, 1884,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved mechanical musical instrument in which the tunes are automatically produced by a musicsheet, that is passed over the heads of the key-levers in a lateral instead of longitudinal direction, so as to actuate said levers and sound the reeds.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of my improved mechanical musical instrument in connection with a handorgan. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line A B, Fig. 1, of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line C D, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of a modification of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the valve-levers adapted for the modified construction shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings, E represents a flat or corrug-ated music-sheet of sheet metal, pasteboard, wood, or other suitable material. The sheet E is provided with raised portions or characters a a, arranged in parallel transverse rows, which are stamped up from the flat sheet or arranged in the corrugations of the same. The rows of raised portions are arranged in such a manner that the alternating rows serve for actuating the key-levers b of the reeds when the sheet is moved in one direction, while the intermediate rows serve for actuating the key-levers during the motion of the sheet in opposite direction. Reciprocating motion is imparted to the music-sheet E by an oblong reciprocating frame, 6, to which one end corrugation of the music-sheet, that is specially provided for this purpose, is firmly pressed into a corresponding depression or groove of the frame 6 and retained by a transverse bar, f, that is made of -shaped crosssection, hinged at one end to a pivot, g, and locked at the other end by a pivot-hook, h. The oblong frame 6 is provided at its longer sides with inwardly-projecting racks e, which mesh with a gear-wheel, t, that is keyed to the shaft of a worm-wheel, 7s. The latter is placed in gear with a worm, m, of a shaft, Z, which is rotated by means of a crank at the outer end of the shaft, whereby the gear-wheel i is turned and a lateral motion imparted to the frame 0 and the music-sheet E. The frame 0 is provided at its under side with two short guide-pins, p p, Fig. 1, which project into a groove, p, of the cover of the hand-organ or other reed-instrument. A second groove, 1)", is arranged parallel to the groove 1) and connected therewith at three points by short transverse grooves q q Q2, as shown in Fig. 1. The frame 6 is provided with pins an, that are pressed by the lateral motion of the frame 6 against the free ends of V-shaped springs 0 0 and r 0', which serve for the purpose of shifting the frame 0 along the transverse grooves q q from the groove 1) into the groove 1) and back again, as the case may be.

When the frame arrives at one end of the groove 19, the springs 0 0 press on the pins 02 n, and shift the frame 6 sidewise, as the pins 191) are moved along short transverse grooves q (1 into the second parallel slot, 19*. The shifting of the frame e moves one rack 6, out of mesh with the gear-wheel i, but throws the oppo-' site rack into mesh therewith. As the gearwheel continues to turn in the same direction, but is in mesh with the opposite rack c, the direction of motion of the frame 6 is reversed, and the same moved in opposite direction until the pins n n are acted upon by the springs r r, and the frame 0 is drawn from the groove 1), along the transverse grooves q q, back into the groovep. In this manner a reciprocating motion is imparted to the frame 6, and a shifting motion when the same arrives at the ends of the slots 19 39 The longitudinallyreciprocating motion of 100 the frame 6 is controlled by the grooves 11 19, while the lateral motion is governed by the transverse grooves q q The distance of the grooves 1' p from each other is equal to the distance between four rows or corrugations of the music-sheet, so that consequently the first, third, fifth, seventh, &c., row or corrugation plays when the frame moves in one direction,while the second, fourth,- siXt-h, eighth, &c., row or corrugation plays when the frame moves in opposite direction. Every part of the music-sheet describes thereby during the playing of the instrument a path that corresponds to the sides of an oblong equal in size to that formed by the grooves 19 11 q q q".

At one side of the frame d is arranged a strip, 8, to which are attached the springs 0 o and 1' 0*. The music -sheet E is retained in proper position and contact with the end of the key-levers b by a bar, t,which is pivoted at t, and locked at the opposite end by a hook, t. The levers b are connected with the valve-1evers a, Fig. 3. They are also guided near their upper and lower ends by slots of the supporting-case. As soon as one of the raised portions of the music-sheet E passes over the upper end of the lever b, the same is pressed downward, so that the valve closed by the lever a is opened and the reed sounds.

If it be desired to arrange two or more different pieces of music on the same side of the music-sheet E, the modification shown in Fig. 4 is employed. In this case the key-levers b are arranged in pairs or singly at such a distance from each other as there are rows or corrugations required for the raised portions or characters of the second piece, or, if there are more than two,of the other pieces of music.

For the purpose of obviating the changing of the position of the music-sheet E on the frame 0 when it is desired to play the second piece, the key-levers b are so disposed that they can be laterally shifted from one series of corrugations to the series representing the second piece of music. For this purpose the ends of the valve-levers a connected to the key-levers b are made of stirrup shape, so that the key-levers b can be shifted in longitudinal direction on the stirrups u. The shifting of said levers is accomplished by a lever, F, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4,) which lever is connected with the strip G, which guides by its lower slitte'd part the keylevers b. \Vhen the lever F is moved toward 'the right in Fig. 4, the key-levers b follow acted upon by the raised portions or characters representing the second piece of music. Before the lever F is moved the key-levers b have-to be lowered, so as to be placed out of contact with the music-sheet E, which is accomplished by pressing the lever F, which passes across all the valve-levers u, in downward direction. The lever F is for this purpose slotted at one end, as shown in Fig. 2, and adapted to turn on afixed pivot.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with the key-levers, of a musicsheet having transverse rows of musical notes or characters running in opposite directions across said sheet, a reciprocating rack-frame, to which one end'of said music-sheet is attached, apinion meshing with said rack-frame, and the devices, substantially as described, for shifting said rack-frame at the opposite ends of the path which it is made to traverse, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a flat or corrugated music-sheet, E, having transverse rows of raised portions or characters a, laterally-reciprocating rack-frame e 6, having top pins, 11. n, and bottom guide-pins, pp, asupporting-frame, d, having guide-grooves 19 p, and connectinggrooves q q (f, and shifting-springs 0 o r 9', substantially and for the purpose as set forth.

3. The combination ofa musicsheet, E, having transverse rows of raised portionsor characters, key-levers?) b, fulcrumed valve-levers at, having stirrup-shaped ends, and means whereby the keylevers are longitudinally shifted, so as to be actuated by a different series of transverse rows, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a corrugated musicsheet, E, having transverse rows of raised portions or characters a, key-levers b b, fulcrumed valve-levers having stirrup-shaped ends, a shifting-lever, whereby the key-levers are longitudinally shifted so as to be actuated by a different-series of transverse rows, a laterallyreciprocating rack-frame, e e, top and bottom guide-pins, n n andpp, guide and connecting grooves p p and q q Q2, and shifting springs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HEINRICH LORENTZ.

\Vitnesses: 3

GERARD voN NAUROCKI, B. R01.

ICC 

